This invention relates to a lubricating device for a knitting machine such as a circular knitting machine or the like, and more particularly to a lubricating device for feeding a lubricated section of a knitting machine such as a cam track, a needle, a needle groove, a drive section of the knitting machine, its sliding surface section or the like with lubricating oil in proper quantities.
In general, a distributing valve which includes a metering and oil-accumulating mechanism and is adapted to feed lubricating oil in a predetermined amount in the form of droplets, particularly, spray is conventionally used for a centralized lubricating system which functions to continuously distribute a small amount of lubricating oil to a lubricated section of a knitting machine such as its sliding section, its drive section or the like.
Such a distributing valve is required to gradually feed lubricating oil in a predetermined amount from an oil source to the lubricated section. For this reason, a piston-type accumulator which is adapted to adjust the amount of oil accumulated therein is used as the distributing valve. Unfortunately, the accumulator causes a space to be remain in a cylinder chamber during the movement of a piston, so that the piston fails to fully discharge liquid from the cylinder. This leads to a disadvantage of failing to feed lubricating oil in a predetermined proper amount, resulting in a failure in lubrication.
In order to avoid such a problem, a system is proposed which continuously feeds lubricating oil in the form of droplets by forming oil gradually fed in a predetermined amount into mist by means of an oil mist unit arranged outside the distributing valve while using compressed air as a carrier medium.
However, the system of feeding lubricating oil in the form of mist or droplets causes fine oil particles to be scattered outside, to thereby deteriorate the environment. Thus, it is not suitable for use for a knitting machine or the like which manufactures a product easily damaged by oil. Also, it causes waste of oil sufficient to lead to economical loss.